Corn-planter



f W. H. K'USSMAUMU F. REIGBR CORN PLANTER.

No. 256,487; PatentedAppl,188,2.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. KUSSMAUL AAND FRITZ REIGER, `OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION .forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,487, dated April 18, 1882.

Application filed January 16, 1882.

f To all whom t may concern Vzo Beit known that we, WM. H. KUssMAUL, of Springfield, in the countyof Sangamon and State of Illinois, and FRITZ REIGER, of Springfield, in the county of Sangam'on and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cornllanters; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and eX- act description yof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The invention .hereinafter described has reference t that class of inventions known as corn-planters, and has for its vobject the securement of a planter which will be simple and cheap in construction and perfect in operation.

It consists of. certain novel combinations by means of which the above objects are obtained, the principal elements composing such combinations being an endless knotted cord or wire, which passes over a star-wheel situated on the end of a bar, which extends entirely across the,

` planter on a line that will bring it under the feed-boxes, and is provided 4at a certain point with a cog-wheel and at another point with a peculiar-shaped wheel, the cog-wheel being so' placed that it will engage with a revolving t drop, and thereby operate the same, and the other wheel so placedas to engage with and' vibrate a peculiar-shaped rod, which extends' from a point under the feed-box and drops down through a metal spout to the furrowopeners, by means of which rod the grain is distributed in the furrows; and it further consists of laconstruction which .will be here` inafter referred'to asa modification ofthe above, said construction being applicabley to planters wherein sliding drops are used in place of the revolving drop above referred to. In this latter case the endless knotted cord or wire before mentioned is used, as also is the peculiar-shaped rod, which is placed in the spout which leads down to the furrow-openers, the difference between the two constructions being that when the sliding drop is employed it is provided on its under side with two projections, which form a fork, and with which the peculiar-shaped wheel placedon the rod above (No model.)

spective view of a corn-planter wherein our y device is employed; Fig. 2, a view in detail of a vrod provided with its several wheels; Fig. 3, a view in detail ofthe revolving drop used in our construction; Fig. 4, a detail view of the sliding drop used in the modification, and Fig. 5 a view in detail ofthe peculiarshaped rod which is pivoted in the spout placed below the feed-box and then passes down to the furrow'- openers.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the frame-work of the planter. Atthe points shownin Fig. 1,0rat any suitable points, are placed the feed-boxes B B, said boxes bein g secured in any desirable manner to the crosspieces a a ofthe frame. These boxes are of any convenientshape, and are com posed of any suitable material. In the bottomA of each is placed a revolving drop, C, (shown clearly in detail in Fig. 3.) As-representedin that figure', this dropis composed oftwo metal plates, c c', the 011e c( being intended to be rmly secured to the cross-pieces c a and in such a position thatthe openingc?, with which it is'provided, will be brought immediately over the spout D, which spout leads down and forms the furrow-openers, and through whichv the grain descends to the ground.v The plate c, as shown in the drawings, is provided with a series of holes or openings, d, and on its outer edge with the teeth d', which are intended to engage with the cogwheel L, hereinafter referred to. Thisplate is made to t over the plate c', and is so secured as to be allowed to revolve around said plate, and thus bring in turn each ot' the holes d over the openings', before mentioned- Asbefore stated, there is situated directly under the;

openings o2 of the plate c a spout, D, which is rmly secured in any desirable manner to the under side ofthe cross piece c, and extends down and forms the furrow-openers, and has its other end secured to the cross-piece a2 of the frame. In this spout is placed the peculiar-shaped rod E, (shown in Fig. 5.) This rod, by means of a screw, c, which passes through the hole e', is pivoted in said spout. It is made of any suitable material, and is provided at its lower end with the projections c2 cs and at its upper end with the projections c4 e5, the object of which construction will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The wheels F are mounted on the axle G. The projections G are firmly secured in the hub of said wheels, so as to revolve with them. They have their ends which enter the wheels made hollow, so as to tit over the axle G, and have mounted on their other or outer ends the small auxiliary wheels H H, as shown in Fig. 1, said wheels being suitably grooved to receive the endless knotted cord or wire I, which is designed to pass around them. This knotted cord, as is shown in Fig.1,alsopasscs around the small antifriction rollers fff, secured to the side of the frame for that purpose, and also between the prongs g g of the star-wheels J. These wheels J are made of any suitable material, and arc of the form shown in Figs. l and 2. They are firmly secured to the ends of a rod, K, which rod extends the entire width of the planter and protrudes through the sides of the frame. The rod K has also firmly attached to it the cogwheels L, one of said wheels being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, said wheels being so situated that they will engage with the toothed edge ot' the revolving drop C. Atanother point on this rod .K is placed the peculiar-shaped wheel M, (shown in Fig. 2,) said wheel being so situated thatit will be directly above the upper end of the spoutD and will engage with the projections et c5 on the upper end ofrod E, hinged in said spout.

Having referred to all the parts used in our improved planter, and having explained the construction and position occupied by each, we will now describe the manner in which they operate.

The grain being placed in the boxes B B, the planter is started. By the revolution of the wheels F and H the endless knotted cord I is caused to pass around the star-wheel J, which action brings the knots placed on said cord in contact with the edges ot' the prongs g g ot` said wheel, thus causing that wheel, together with the other wheels attached to the rod K, to revolve. By the revolution of the wheel L the teeth placed thereon engage with the teeth made in the edge of the upper plate of the revolving drop C, and, as will be clearly understood, as this upper plate turns on its pivot each of the holes d 'made therethrough will in turn be brought over theopenings c2 of the lower plate of said drop, thus forming a clear opening through those two plates,th rough which the grain placed in the feed-boxes is discharged into the spout D placed thereunder. In its revolution one ot' the curved sides of the peculiar-shaped wheel M is brought in contact with the projection et of the rod E, thus forcing that rod to one side and allowing the grain to descend down the spout D, in which said rod is secured, until it reaches the projection c3, placed on the opposite or lower end of the rod, which projection holds it in the spout and prevents it from reaching the ground. The grain is thus held until the wheel M comes in contact with the projection c5, which causes the position of the rod E to be changed, thus leaving the space at the bottom of the spout formerly closed by the projection e3 open, and allowing the spout to discharge the amount ot grain already received, and at the same time receive a fresh supply on the opposite side of the rod E. Thus it will be seen that by the use of the above-described device a planter is secured by means ofwhich the rgrain is distributed in the furrows with certainty and regularity.

As a modification of the above,we will now describe a planter in which a sliding drop is used instead of the revolving drop above described. In this construction the cog-wheel L, situated on the rod K, is omitted, such omission and the difference in the construction of the drop itself -being the only changes made. By reference to Fig. 4 the construction of the drop used in this modification will be understood. As shown in that figure, it is composed ot' two plates, M' M2. 0f these plates the one M is intended to be secured in any desirable manner in the bottom of the feedboX. It has two of its sides bent so as to form groovesor guides, in which the plate M2 moves. At a suitable point it is provided with a slot, m, through which is passed the fork-shaped projection m', with which the plate M2 is provided. At a point which comes directly over the spout D, before referred to, it is provided with the hole or opening fm2, over which the holes m3 and m4 in turn are brought as the plate M2 is moved from side to side. The forkshaped projection m', which is secured to the plate M2, is of such a length that after passing through the slot m it will reach down to a point at which it will engage with the peculiar-shaped wheel M, previously described.

The operation is as follows: By means of the mechanism described in the main device the star-wheel J and the peculiar-shaped wheel M are caused to revolve. In its revolution 011e of the inclined sides ot the wheel M is brought against one of the forks of the projection m', which forces the plate M2 to one side and brings the hole m3 over the hole m2, thus leaving a clear opening, through which the grain falls to the spout D, the rod E being operated, in the manner before described, by this same wheel M. As the wheel M continues to revolve another of its inclined sides strikes the other fork ofthe projection m', thus forcing the plate M2 in the lopposite direction and bringing the hole m4 over the hole m2.

IOO

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This operation being continued, the grain is distributed in the furrows with certainty and regularity.

L Having thus described our invention, what we olailn as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. In a. corn-p1anter, the rod K, provided with the star-Wheel J and the oog-wheel L, in combination with the knotted cord I and the revolving drop G, all the parts constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

2. In a corn-planter, the rod K, provided.

with the star-wheel J the cog-wheel L, and the wheel M, in combination with the knotted oord I, the revolving drop C, the rod E, and x5 spout D, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of January, 1882.

WILLIAM H. KUssMAL. FRITZ- REIGER.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL vD. SoHoLEs, T. C. MATHER. 

